


Stronger Than Me

by McFreeky



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Episode: s02e07 State v. Queen, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-08
Updated: 2014-04-08
Packaged: 2018-01-18 16:36:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1435354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/McFreeky/pseuds/McFreeky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A phone call forces Oliver to face one of his greatest fears.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stronger Than Me

Oliver walks into his office. However, instead of his regular business suit, he is wearing green leather, and, instead of a pile of papers that need reviewing, his bow is in hand.

Last time he was here as the vigilante, his mother put a bullet in his chest. Oliver hopes for a better outcome today.

He rounds the corner and sees her in the conference room. She’s shivering and tense, her eyes puffy from tears. It’s not how she should be. She should be smiling or laughing or angry at him when he is being a stubborn ass. She shouldn’t be afraid. She should never be afraid.

His hood is pulled back, so she can see him clearly. Oliver tells himself he allows the change because everyone here already knew who he is. But there is another reason, one he isn’t ready to face yet. He needs to see her, unobstructed, and he needs to remove all variables that might cause him to fail. The hood may have never gotten in the way of his aim before, but he isn’t going to risk it, not with her.

He tries to tell her with his eyes that everything will be okay, that nothing will happen to her. She looks back hopeful before her eyes squeeze shut. Oliver notices the Count is running his sick hand through her ponytail. It takes everything in him to not scream at him to stop. The drug dealer can’t know how vulnerable, how desperate he is when she’s in harm’s way.

“Pretty swanky offices,” he says, just barely peeking around her.

He stands, and Oliver has to fight to keep from putting two in his chest right there.

“You can see all of the destruction your mom caused from up here.”

“What do you want?”

The Count shrugs. “World peace and personal satisfaction. Though, not necessarily in that order.”

He puts his hands on her shoulders, and she flinches at his touch. Her face screws into what Oliver can only describe as panic. Again, he has to fight to keep control.

“You poisoned me,” he continues, “and put me in a hole. You have no idea how much I hated you for that. Turns out someone else hates you too.”

For the first time since he saw her, Oliver’s attention was torn away to focus on what the Count was saying. “Who?”

He laughs. “Oh you’re going to be surprised when you find out. He’s a man of means. He set me up with my new operation so I could draw you out.”

“To do what?”

He reaches for something in his coat, and Oliver is on the move before he can say, “This!” and open fire. Pain rips through his arm, but he suppresses it. Now is not the time.

“You’re going to have to try harder!” Oliver yells from his cover behind the couch.

“Done!” the Count answers and fires two more rounds.

He moves then, working his way out the office so he can come up behind him. He hears her cry out in pain, almost stopping him in his tracks. But he knows now is not the time.

The Count is at the couch, holding his hostage in place by her ponytail, when Oliver drops down and aims an arrow.

The drug dealer puts down the gun and reaches for something else in his coat. “So now we move on to plan B.”

Oliver realizes it’s a pair of syringes like the ones he was injected with, and they were dangerously close to her neck.

“Oliver, don’t! Not for me,” she cries.

He doesn’t know what she’s talking about. There isn’t much he wouldn’t do for her.

The Count shakes her. “Quiet please. I’m threatening.”

They stand like that for an eternity, Oliver’s arrow threatening to kill him and the Count’s syringe threatening to kill her.

He wishes the syringe is aimed at him. He wishes she is back at the foundry, safe like she should be.

“Put the bow down,” the Count says, pushing the needles ever so closer to the delicate skin of her neck.

Oliver does what he is told. He has to. “Your problem is with me. It’s not with her.”

“Then this will be your penance for making me go to plan B.” He lifts the syringe to jab into her.

That was enough for Oliver. He loosed an arrow like lightning, piercing the Count’s shoulder and throwing him off balance. She crashes the floor, and he puts two more in his chest. The drug dealer falls through the window. There is a faint crash from below.

Oliver exhales, trying to calm his rapidly beating heart. In the back of his mind, he realizes he has killed again, but there is no guilt over it. It is her.

He crosses the room to her and cups her face into his hand. “Felicity,” he says in soothing tones, finally able to say her name now that she was safe. “Hey, shhh. You’re safe now. Everything is going to be okay.”

Felicity’s eyes catch his. They are so grateful. They shouldn’t be. Oliver’s the reason she was in danger in the first place.

Her eyes are drawn to his arm, and she lets out a small gasp. “You’re shot,” Felicity says, putting a tentative hand on the wound to assess the damage.

She was held hostage for nearly an hour with a crazed lunatic, and the first thing she does after the ordeal is worry about him. Oliver really needs to stop being surprised by her. He knew long ago how strong she is, how much stronger than him she is.

“Hey,” he whispers, pulling her eyes back to his. “It’s nothing.”

He hears sirens in the distance.

“The police are on their way,” Oliver tells her.

She nods back. “Go. I’ll stay behind and tell them what happened.”

He shook his head. “I’m not leaving you behind, not after this. You’re coming with-”

“No, Oliver,” she tells him.

Her hands wrap around his wrists. When did he drop his bow so he could cradle her face with both hands?

“Someone needs to stay behind and explain. I’ll tell them the Count was looking for revenge after you put the police on his trail a year ago.”

“Felicity…” Her name comes out barely a murmur.

She pulls his hands from her face. “Oliver, I’ll be fine. You saved me. You need to be with Thea and your mom. They need you.”

He sees the iron that tells him she will be getting her way. She is so strong in ways he will never be.

“Keep me updated on everything that is happening. I may not be able to respond, but I want to know that you’re okay.”

She nods before pushing him away from her. “Go. You still have to bandage your arm and change before you can go back to the courthouse.”

Oliver rises and leaves, not turning around to look back. He doesn’t trust himself enough to leave if he does.

* * *

"I need to meet my family at home. So, you guys, go home. Get some rest,” Oliver tells his two partners in crime.

Diggle shakes his hand and claps him on the shoulder before leaving. Oliver turns to Felicity, smiles, and tells her “Goodnight.” She smiles back.

He starts for the door when he hears her call his name meekly. He turns back and waits.

“I uh… I just want to say thank you.”

Again, gratitude he doesn’t deserve, but she has been through enough tonight. He keeps it to himself.

“Yeah, of course,” he answers instead.

But she doesn’t stop. “And I’m sorry.”

Oliver looks at her, not sure why she is apologizing. If anything he should be the one saying that to her.

He draws closer, hoping his presence will be a comfort. “For what?”

Felicity sighs and shakes her head in the way that tells Oliver she is frustrated with herself. “I got myself in trouble again, and you…” Her voice catches. “You killed him. You killed again, and I’m sorry that I was the one that put you in a position where you had to make that kind of choice.”

That is what she meant back in the office. He grabs her hand and lightly squeezes it, hoping the action will tell her it is okay, that they are okay. “Felicity. He had you, and he was going to hurt you. There was no choice to make.”

She smiles back. It’s small but genuine. Still, he feels the tremor in her hand.

“Come on,” Oliver said, wrapping an arm around her and starting to lead her to the door. “You’re staying at the Queen mansion tonight.”

She stops. “Oliver, no. Your family is going through enough. They don’t need me waltzing around their house after everything that’s happen.”

“Felicity, you were just held hostage by the Count. I’m not going to let you go home to an empty house. This isn’t up for a debate.”

She holds his gaze for a moment, challenging like she can be. Eventually, she relents and slumps back into his embrace. He likes the way she fits there.

“Fine.”

“And you’re getting the rest of the week off. From both jobs,” he adds.

Felicity looks at him, obviously intent on fighting him once more. But he watches as the resolve drains away, and she nods.

They drive back to the Queen estate, and Oliver explains to Thea what has happened and why Felicity is there. His sister immediately understands and even gives her some clothes that were more comfortable to sleep in than the dress she was wearing. They show Felicity to one of the guest bedrooms and let her settle in for the night.

It isn’t until hours later, after Oliver is sure Felicity is sleeping soundly and his mother has returned, that he slides into bed himself. But rest doesn’t come. Instead, he tosses and turns as he remembers the lie he told Felicity nearly a week ago.

_“Because of the life I lead, I just think that it’s better to not be with someone I could really care about.”_

Oliver knows he cares too much about Felicity, that there was no _“could”_ when it involves her. But he knows she is too bright for him. If they are together, he will drag her down and destroy everything good in her. He won’t let that happen.

So he searches for an answer, a way to keep her and her strength close to him so he can selfishly lean on it when he needs it while keeping her safe from him. He wakes up the next morning no closer to the answer.

**Author's Note:**

> I was rewatching this episode when I noticed Oliver's confused look at the end when Felicity was apologizing. Then, this idea was born. It became a little more Olicity than the episode probably intended, but it's my fic, and I need Oliver to be a tortured soul over his feelings for Felicity. I regret nothing.


End file.
